Putin Fires Warning Shot - Russia May Bar Firms Using Foreign Banks

With the cease-fire on shaky ground in Ukraine, and the ongoing proxy war between the US and Russia growing in intensity (once again ignited in Syria); it seems Putin has fired a significant warning shot across the bow of the west. Reuters reports that Russia is considering banning state companies and other strategically important firms from holding accounts at foreign-owned banks. As Liberty Blitzkrieg's Mike Krieger notes if this actually happens, it would be a very big deal, and certainly an escalation in the friction between these two geopolitically crucial nations.

MOSCOW, June 24 (Reuters) – Russia is considering banning state companies and other strategically important firms from holding accounts at foreign-owned banks, a governmental source familiar with the proposals told Reuters on Tuesday.

“Such an idea is lingering, but there is no decision about it as yet,” the source said.

Analysts doubted that the plan would be adopted, saying it would be highly damaging for Russia’s investment climate and would face opposition from major companies.

Earlier on Tuesday Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported that the Finance Ministry had prepared legal amendments that would bar state companies, as well as strategically important private firms.

Under the proposals, all state-owned companies would be allowed to have accounts only at Russian state-owned banks, or at privately-owned Russian banks with capital of at least 16.5 billion roubles ($483 million), Kommersant reported.

The restrictions would also apply to privately-owned companies that were significant for Russia’s defence or security, as defined by an existing law on foreign investment in strategic companies.

“Definitely this would decrease the attractiveness for foreign investors in the banking sector, because a large part of Russian companies are deemed strategic and this is increasingly so,” said Vladimir Osakovsky, chief Russia economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

“Let’s see if it will be approved or not. I think it is unlikely because it is a negative move from the investment climate perspective.”

Russia has been mulling steps to reduce its vulnerability to Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, which has raised fears that Western countries could freeze Russian assets abroad.

Because of the negative implications to the global economy, and Russia in particular, I doubt this will be adopted in the near future. However, the fact that this idea is even being circulated, is important in its own right.

I bet, China is silently implementing the same policies as Russians talk about.

And I bet, Russians are already halfway done with this. I mean the Russians holdings in western banks are record low. So if they implement this, it will be just an official declaration of the real state of things.

"Allow myself to clarify preliminary data, adding to them the data from my informed sources. Refinement first. Since all the dead soldiers named, it is easy to assume that the helicopter belonged to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was confirmed.

"In addition, one of the killed soldiers held a high position and wore high, apparently, a General, a rank.

"Two more were killed senior staff (not just field agents) CIA.

"The remaining seven or eight - all U.S. citizens - members of the American private military company. To avoid misunderstandings: not just typed in different countries with pine forest on the American employees of PMCs, and the Americans."

There is in Donbass an itty-bitty village – Saurovka. It’s right next to the Saur-Mogila Mound memorial. The Ukie army, being a direct successor to Hitlerite Wehrmacht, terribly hates Saur-Mogila, as it is a symbol of Russian valor in the Great Patriotic War. All the time their artillery and mortars lob shells directly at the memorial. But they cannot get any closer. On and around the Mound our fighters lie in wait. However, I am not here to talk about the defence of the memorial or of the [strategic] height.

I will talk about the little village of Saurovka. It’s really small. There are only 50 or so houses [in the entire settlement]. One day, the pravoseki [Right Sector militants] came there. NazGuard [National Guard], Azov-2 and Dnepr-2. And then they instilled European values in the village. They cut out[, murdered] all the men. They would cut them alive. They would cut the arms, then the legs. Then the head.

They did not cut the women – they raped them. And now they continue [to rape them], during the pauses between battles. Doubtlessly, the various fanboys of Europe and the Maidanites will say that these are made-up fairy tales. Nevertheless, all [that I said] is true. So, Messrs. Lyashko and Poroshenko, what was it that you were bleating about? A ceasefire? Something about how we need to disarm? There were no weapons in Saurovka … Take note, chocolate baron, truth is on our side, and, one day, we will come for you. Yes, you, personally!

The forested area around Saur-Mogila continues to be replenshished with the fresh dead.

The pravoseki are inhuman not only toward the Donbass residents. Even their own they consider nothing but garbage. They don’t bury them properly. They do not care. They throw some earth on them, and the job’s done. The green of the forest [is soaked] with the smell of dead flesh. Sometimes they even leave their guns with the dead. Why care, right? Amreeka sponsors them, they’ll throw something new their way or buy [weapons] from some Poles.

They lob cluster shells at our guys. Not made in Ukie-stan. The shrapnel is such that, if it catches you, it will rip you up so that you can’t heal. A few days ago, militia fighters got a woman sniper with an “Utyes” [Note 1: NSV-12.7 “Utyes” machine gun]. Hello Poland! The girl was from there. She had the newest American automatic rifle 12.5mm calibre. We could not use the rifle. The heavy machine gun “Utyes” destroyed the [weapon].

I have a feeling that the Saur-Mogila Mound memorial is again becoming a symbol of Russian valour in the struggle against fascism. A few day ago, the Nazis refused to attack our strategic heigh, and the pravoseki then starting shooting at their own – to whip up the attack.

But then those [who were fired upon] got upset and started shooting back. Our fighters, looking from above, found this highly entertaining. If only the circus came by more often! However, this circus is not going to last long. Very soon we will push the Ukie-nazis out, from the outskirts of Saur-Mogila as well as from other places. Prepare your white shoes [Note 2].

I'm afraid it's getting too late for the Ukraines in the west to wake up and fight back agains Kiev, just like americans they got dumbed down and overhelmed by oligarchs. Both are going to pay for it, a lot.

Caution: whilst the ukrainians have and continue to commit atrocities such as shelling towns and vilages (despite the "ceasefire"), cutting off water and power, this latest report is unverified with no photos or videos.

Really? Have you ever tried to conduct business internationally through a Russian bank? Have you? Try it and get back to me. We had accounts at two Russian banks in St. Petersburg and the level of service was horrendous. So we opened a third account in Moscow at a third bank. Same thing. Fair or not, Russian banks have a TERRIBLE reputation internationally because (1) they deserve it and (2) getting a Russian bank to follow through on its promises is a full time job....which is a waste of time. They do serve a valuable domestic purpose.

Why would they do it on purpose? We had large deposits at the banks. We had Russian partners (who were as pissed off as we were at the treatment). And we have impecable credentials and references from several large banks in the West. It's just incompetence. They are unsophisticated as hell and the penalty for nonconformance is nowhere to be found. They pay these people shit money and get shit talent. Sorry, but it's a fact: Russian banks are not capable of performing the range of services that large banks in England, the U.S., France, Germany, etc. routinely perform. It's just a fact. That's why a lot of Russians aren't going to like it if Putin makes them use only Russian banks. He'll never do it; he's not that stupid......it's just talk.

Why do Americans allow their money supply to be controlled by a private cabal which milks them for everything they've got? Doesn't make sense. It's like allowing the Italian Mafia to do it. Disband the Federal Reserve, and it's board of governors (nearly all members of the same cabal), and bring it back to ownership by the people. It's their money.

Because, my boy, Americans, and any average "citizen" of any country are largely usless outside of their labor.

They don't ponder their own fate or actions. It's all laid out before them and they go along with the flow. The cull is usually a surprise for them, but they ignored all the people telling them that they're headed for the slaughterhouse for so long; they deserve what they get.

If a man doesn't have the spine to be his own life arbiter, he deserves everything that comes to him. Go on, accept the world laid out before you.

The Civil War that we are told freed some Americans, in fact enslaved all but a few Americans. The Civil War was the impetus for the 'National Banking System' that made it possible for the Federal Reserve to exist. Prior to it, we had banks as independent businesses who trusted one another primarily through individual agreements after the delivery of specie (a.k.a. Gold and Silver).

Paper was for local transactions. Paper was a check. Specie is what they used to clear the check.

After establishment, bank paper (including Treasury Paper "Green Backs") were cleared through a system of regional banks who acted as clearing houses.

Unfortunately those banks often didn't honor their reserve requirements, causing a lack of clearance at the clearance bank, and leading to bank runs when people realized that their depositied specie had been loaned in full to multiple people on a fractional reserve basis - ergo was gone.

The purpose of the Federal Reserve was to prevent that by ensuring that the Fed could provide the biggest banks - the Fed's bank owners - with ANY amount of paper. But that didn't work so long as paper was convertible - which is why within 20 years of it existence it stopped being convertible.

Since then we can vote. But regardless of the vote's outcome the Oligarchs do what they want.

Voting is impotent with them.

Nothing short of a total societal collapse or a revolution (and probably not a revolution) can dislodge them at this point.

This is in response to the post about the Pentagon Black Ops being responsible for incidents in Ukraine. To find the answer to that and many more ask the general who deploys the US military because he told it to an open Congressional session.

General Martin Dempsey says, "we are invited in" Remember those words, a nations sons and daughters are put in harms way because of an invitation.
Read it and then listen to it for yourself.
So ask the Joint Chiefs the question, "Did Ukraine invite the US military to blow up a pipeline for them?" Start asking the right questions.

Joint Chiefs, General Martin Dempsey: when asked on what authority the US military is deployed, he said (addressing Senator Sessions in Congress), "We act with "authorized" military force either with the consent of a government, we are invited in, or out of national self defense... and the last one is some international legal basis, an UNSCR (United Nations Security Resolution)."
Leon Panetta's testimony goes on to say that NATO authorizes the US military.
Panetta did not say who was in charge of NATO on that day or any other particular day for that matter.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

WHO IS REALLY IN CHARGE (of this perpetual institutionalized violence)?
I call it that because I find no other words for it.

According to the research of American historian, author and speaker Eustace Mullins, it is my conclusion that all directives and dictates to the government of the United States of America and America's controlling (alleged charitable) foundations and educational institutions originate from the City of London (The City), Chatham House, Number 10 St. James's Square also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

Eustace Mullins:

"A number of popular books now in circulation claim that the

Council on Foreign Relations is the secret government of the United

States. Nothing could be more incorrect. The members of the Council

on Foreign Relations have never originated a single item of policy for

the U .S. Government. They merely transmit orders to our government

officials from the RIIA and the House of Rothschild in London. It is

true that the CFR comprises a ruling elite in the United states, but they

are mere colonial governors absolutely responsible to their overseers

in the World Order. However, every prominent American mentioned

in the present book is a member of the CFR, and therefore it is not

necessary to note it each time a name is mentioned. Not only do they

transmit orders to the White House, the Cabinet, the Federal Reserve

Board of Governors, and other government institutions, but they also

maintain absolute control" of the foundations, whose duty it is to

formulate policy or organize it in an acceptable form to

the government. Shoup's "Imperial Brain Trust", 1969, notes that the

CFR includes 22 trustees of Brookings Institution, 29 at Rand, 14 at

Hudson, 33 at Middle East Institute, 14 of 19 trustees of the Rockefeller

Foundation, 10 of 17 at Carnegie, 7 of l 6 at Ford Foundation, 6 of 11

at Rockefeller Bros. Fund. This proves that the CFR runs these major 52

foundations. In the academic world, CFR members number 58 on the

faculty at Princeton, 69 at the University of Chicago, and 30 at

Harvard. Of the banks which are the principal owners of Federal Reserve

Good post. Yes follow history, you will find the Empire left Rome to the swamps of Venice and eventually land in UK. Shortly after the revolutionary war, the US could not remain outside of Empire control. Quickly Aaron Burr got Jefferson to allow foriengers to legally own US land, "The Holland Company" purchased what is now "Wall Street". The roots of Empire now get into the US. Then Aaron Burr needed to eliminate Hamilton, so the US would not have a credit system, but a debt system modeled after the central Bank of England. Once in control of finance, US was effectively under Empire control. Anybody (attempting to reign that in Lincoln or Kennedy, i.e., greenbacks or silver certificates, back to the soverign level) ends up dead.

Postscript: Aaron Burr became the Legal Counsel for the "The Holland Land Company", after his duel with Hamilton. Sound contemporarily familiar.

I prefer slow torture to a quick death, just tell them US Citizens do not pay speculative debt instruments. They will burn slowly on the grille. Kind of an eye for eye solution. I give Argentina some real credit they are staring down the barrel of a gun....

This is probably also a tactic to rein in government ministers who like to invest out of Russia to hide their assets. The Kremlin has been trying to reduce corruption for years, with limited success. It is very bad at the regional level, where small and medium businesses have to survive. This law also mandates income disclosures for everybody in the civil service, not just senior officers. So the regional and city grafters will have to be a little more discreet in future.

" Russia is considering banning state companies and other strategically important firms from holding accounts at foreign-owned banks, a governmental source familiar with the proposals told Reuters on Tuesday."

the kinda thing that makes you wanna replace the existing reserve currncy with the russian rubble.

This move would only hurt the Bank of International Settlement; the bank in Basel, Switzerland that laundered looted gold from NAZI occupied Europe. The Central Bank to all other Central Banks. The FRBNY is just an errand boy for the BIS.

Note that the largest owners in Russian firms are American mutlinationals. For example, the second largest owner in Gazprom is Exxon Mobil. Companies like Exxon Mobil, Chevron, etc have very large shares in Russian natural resource firms as the Russian firms are heavily reliant on American technology. Without it, they wouldn't be able to extract and profit from those natural resources.

"The fact that Putin tries to nationalize the economy and the banking system completely, in an attempt to protect Russia from the expansion of the global neoliberal dictatorship, explains to a great extent why the international banksters have declared war against him."

Last year, while vacationing in Geneva, I talked to a guy who worked for the banking industry most of his life and he mentioned that Russia is more than capable of implementing a much better banking system then anything currently available in the west. Perhaps, this could be the beginning of a new era...